Machine and equipment assets are engineered to perform one or more tasks as part of a business process. For example, assets can include, among other things and without limitation, industrial manufacturing equipment on a production line, drilling equipment for use in mining operations, wind turbines that generate electricity on a wind farm, transportation vehicles such as trains and aircraft, and the like. As another example, assets may include devices that aid in diagnosing patients such as imaging devices (e.g., X-ray or MRI systems), monitoring equipment, and the like. The design and implementation of these assets often involves both the physics of the task at hand, as well as the environment in which such assets are configured to operate.
Over time, hardware components of an asset can experience wear and tear and software components can require updates and replacement. In some instances, assets can even experience hardware or software failures. To address these issues, many manufacturers and third parties provide field service to ensure that an asset operates smoothly. Field service can include maintenance, updates, and repairs which are often provided by or otherwise controlled by a technician. As cloud-based computing and industrial manufacturing continue to merge, service-based software is becoming more integrated within a cloud environment. For example, a field service software application can provide a comprehensive, cloud-based, and mobile enterprise solution that manages the service delivery end-to-end process for a service technician enabling manufacturers and service providers to grow service revenues, increase service efficiencies, improve customer experience, and address compliance requirements.
Technicians often rely on the field service software application as part of their day-to-day operations. For many technicians, the field service software is downloaded to a mobile client device (e.g., tablet, laptop, smartphone, etc.) at the beginning of the day or at the start of a work order, and is updated as the technician progresses through tasks. The field service software may include a mobile framework that provides the technician with field-ready functionality thereby improving field service productivity. Designed from the ground up with field technicians and engineers in mind, the field service software may provide a refined interface, consistent access, and targeted service workflows. Through the field service software, the technician can successfully complete complex work orders, present service reports for customer signature, and provide dynamic pricing of labor, parts and products while in the field.
However, related field service software has various drawbacks. For example, the client device executing the field service software typically requires significant JavaScript code for downloading the transaction data from a host platform. As a result, the download, especially an initial download, can take a great deal of time (e.g., 20 minutes or longer). When a technician is waiting for the transaction data to download, the technician may become impatient and submit another command to the host platform while the host platform is busy transferring the application to the client device. In some cases, the host platform will not provide the technician with a visible response causing the technician to wonder if anything is happening. Furthermore, technicians often perform service in remote locations such as within tunnels, buildings, out at sea, and the like, where Internet connectivity can be unreliable. When the client device loses a connection to the host platform while downloading the transactional data, the download must be restarted. Accordingly, what is needed is an improved system for transmitting field service software to a client device.